It is well known to produce a knit fabric having elasticity of double plain jersey loops of a ground yarn and an elastic yarn. One example of such a knitting method includes raising all needles to the knitting level where the old loops clear the latches on the needles and feeding both the ground yarn and the elastic yarn to the needles. As the needles descend, the sinkers withdraw so that the old loops knock over at the sinker tops and double loops are formed by the needles and sinkers of the ground yarn and the elastic yarn in each loop.
While producing knit fabrics of excellent elasticity, this prior method has difficulties and deficiencies. For example, the elastic yarn causes the fabric to contract in both the course and wale directions which results in deformed loops. The resulting fabric has a hard hand and poor drapeability. Also, elastic yarn breakage is difficult to correct during knitting of such fabric.
Another example of a prior method of producing knit fabric having double jersey loops is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,379,649. While producing a single-knit fabric of double jersey loops which overcomes the difficulties and deficiencies of the aforementioned method, the method of this prior patent has other difficulties and deficiencies. For example, the needles of the knitting machine are arranged in two groups and the two yarns are alternately fed to the front and the back of the hooks of the knitting needles in the two groups. To accomplish this, the group of needles to the back of which a yarn is being fed must rise sharply at the back of the first yarn guide. This type of yarn feeding is difficult and inaccurate and frequently results in less than desirable quality.